Around the September Art Walk
Ed Fuentes
Crowds at the Rowan during the September Downtown Art Walk.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — I am happy to report Downtown Art Walk hasn't crumbled yet. There were plenty of people milling in and around Gallery Row last Thursday, despite fewer opening night receptions. Still, some galleries continued to limit their presence to avoid the crowds.
Before we claim the name "Art Walk" is merely theory, it has to be remembered that the event began as a venturesome exercise to bring people to the Historic Core. Its success was, and still is, based on providing community outreach and authenticating a contemporary Downtown culture.
Still, it would help if the larger temporary spaces step up. P.E. Lofts, for example, could use another curated show to keep up with exhibits seen on the ground floor of The Continental and The Rowan.
At Crewest, the gallery's current show "War Over Peace" exhibits street art from Iran. Planned before the Iranian presidential election, curator Shervin Shahbazi had problems securing bios and some of the pieces. As the L.A. Times reports, "Despite the additional challenges they faced after the election, Shahbazi and the artists never considered canceling the show."
Over the weekend Alex "Man-One" Poli sent word that the show is almost sold out.
As for Art Walk, I suspect the second Thursday of the month will be reinterpreted. Hopefully, this will come with a renewed sense of collaboration between the Downtown Art Walk non-profit and the newly-founded Downtown Los Angeles Galleries Association.
Regard this photo essay as a small pop-up exhibition titled "REinterpreting Artwalk." If it was in an art gallery, the press release would state: "Urban critique interacts with the informal language of online media, and in this survey of relations among art, cityscape, and viewer; reflecting the reconfigured downtown that has art blend with city aesthetics."
Tony Hoover on September 14, 2009, at 08:22PM – #1
Some of the gallery owners think that the Artwalk is about selling art. If this is what they think then they better think again.
The Artwalk is about building community, and generating awareness. The excuse to come out happens the be the art...and, well, the party. In SoHo in the 70's is was about exactly the same thing. Very few people purchased art but LOTS of people came to "the party". The buzz around the party put SoHo on the map (after many years) and the rest is now history.
What one would hope happens is that when the party becomes big enough and word begins to go beyond the downtown community, people WILL begin to buy art in the galleries. In the meantime the galleries have nearly 10,000 people there every 2nd Thursday of the month. If they want to make money off the Artwalk then what they need to do is also have affordable art, possibly functional art, to sell to people who cannot afford to invest in fine art (I've noticed some very smart galleries doing just that).
When Rick Caruso built the Grove he was cricized for creating a great playground and he was judged by other who said his venture would be a failure. They said people would just come to take advantage of the Grove's public ammenities. Caruso said "just wait"...and he was right! What happend was people "connected" to the Grove and then began shopping there - now Caruso is a billionaire.
The Artwalk is essentially doing the same thing for Downtown. When people go to the Artwalk today it creates excitement for Downtown. This excitement makes them want to come back. As this continues to go on everyone will be reaping the benefits in the long term...but this will require patience and some keen business sense.
out my wndow on September 15, 2009, at 09:37AM – #2
The Art Walk is like a seaside boardwalk with out the cotton candy. The barkers are tattooed punks and nobody gets to win a teddy bear. Good for the neighborhood? Sell art? I think the whole project needs to be reworked so that it's an attractive event and galleries can make money. Clean it up. Sell affordable art. We could start there.
carlos on September 15, 2009, at 10:00AM – #3
living in the city its amazing to see what "art walk" has done for the community bringing people into the area who will spend money at local bars and restaurants and hopefully make them come back during the day to do the same if not more with the new retail/ food spaces that are not open in the evening. i think the galleries have to think and evolve with the times and yes jump back on the art walk wagon to profit from the masses that attend..it would be a shame not to. The previous message stated that the galleries are here to "SELL" then they must do just that " SELL".. Again change is a good, fresh, young thing!! and the new "art walk" is that exciting new CHANGE.. lets take advantage of it and enjoy..
Tony Hoover on September 16, 2009, at 12:33AM – #4
I like seaside boardwalks, I don't eat cotton candy and that's precisely why I go to the Artkwalk. At the Artwalk I patronize restaurants and, yes, I bought art. Take it from someone who's studied fine art for nearly 30 years and "lived" SoHo in the 80's - no one likes "high brow". Give the people what they want - a good time. I think Johns told me that, or maybe it was Haring, I can't remember I was too drunk.
Alex on September 22, 2009, at 10:03AM – #5
Tony, the wealthy like "high brow." In fact, wealthy collectors are exclusively interested in what is often defined as "high brow."
The serious art market is not democratic. Serious art collectors don't want functional art nor do they want inexpensive art. They want bold, audacious, expensive art that few others can buy -- otherwise, there's no point.
Those people certainly aren't going to come downtown to hang around a West Covina crowd looking for free bottom-of-the-barrel wine especially when the galleries aren't offering art worth buying.